Car dumper



R. W. CRIST Aug. '23, 1949.

CAR DUMPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Sept. 13, 1945 Aug. 23, 1949. R. w. CRIST 2,479,815

CAR DUMPER Original Filed Sept. 13, 1943 4 sheets' -sheet 2 'll l.|l||ll Q INVENTOR. Lk P05527- 144 62/57- R. W. CRIST Aug. 23, 1949.

CAR DUMPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Sept. 13, 1943 lll llll ul I NV EN TOR.

BY 0555" WI ck/sr -Q ibw R. W. CRIST CAR DUMPER Aug. 23, 1949.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Sept. 13; 1943 INVEN TOR.

lilillll Patented Aug. 23, 1949 CAR BUMPER Robert W. Crist, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Wellman Engineering Company, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Cleveland,

Continuation of abandoned application Serial No. 587,702, April 11, 1945, which is a division of application Serial No. 502,151, September 13," 1943. This application February 18, 1946, Se-

rial No. 648,461

11 Claims. (01. 214- -55) This invention relates to car dumpers and particularly to car dumpers of the rotary non-lifting type. More particularly the invention relates to the car clamps for holding the car on the rails of the dumper while the cradle of the dumper is being turned to discharge the material from the car. a

"This application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 587,702, for Car dumper, filed April 11, 1945, and now abandoned, which application is a division of my prior app1ication Ser. No. 502,151, for Car dumper, filed September 13, 1943, and issued on August 7, 1945, as Patent No. 2,381,723.

The principal object of the invention is to provide controls and actuating means for clamps of a car dumper of such anature that the clamps on one side of the cradle of the dumperare wholly independent of the clamps on the other side so that it becomes unnecessary to provide the same number of clamps on each side and it is possible to"provide a greater number of clamps on the inner or dumping side than on the rear side. The clamps beingindependent ofeach other, failure of one to act does not prevent any other clamps from acting.

A further object is to provide a clamp holddown mechanism of such a nature that there are no clamp holddown ropes, thus avoiding possibility of accident due to failure of ropes or the outward movement of the car in the cradle due to stretch in the ropes while in the dumping position and eliminating ropes and their maintenance.

sun further the invention aims to provide a simplified construction and one which eliminates many parts and considerable Weight.

A further object is to provide mechanism for controlling and actuating the clamps of such a nature that the mechanism is not located at a point where it is likely to become covered with dust and the like from the coal, ore or other material being discharged during the dumping operation, as is the case with dumpers in use at the present time.

1 A further object is to provide a positive releasing arrangement for the clamps to prevent the breakage of clamp lifting ropes.

A still further object is to provide a clamp lifting arrangement which at all times provides suf ficient tension in the clamp lifting ropes to prevent sag' in the ropes and to keep the ropes on their sheaves.

I The above andother objects are attained by my invention which may be here briefly summarized as consisting in certain details of con- "struction and combinations and arrangements of ,5 ploysqparts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a partial end elevation of a dumper, constructed in accordance with this invention, the dumper being shown with a car in. upright position thereon just prior to the dumping operation;

Fig. 2 is a partial side ,elevational view of the dumper as seen from the rear thereof, certain of the parts including the sheaves and'ropes being shown diagrammatically; r

Fig. 3 is a partial side elevational view of the dumper as seen from the dumping side thereof, some of the parts such as the sheaves and ropes being shown diagrammatically;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing a portion of one of the rear clamps and the mechanism for actuating it; I

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the construction shown in Fig; 4 as seen from the left thereof;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through the clamp actuating mechanism, with parts in elevation, and illustrated as positioned in accordance with the broken line showingthereof in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustratinga clamp actuating mechanismfor. a clamp on the dumping side of the apparatus} Fig. 8 is a top view of one of the clamp lifting arms which is attached to the bottom of the dumper; and p Q Fig. 9 is a side view of the clamp lifting arm.

Referring now to the drawings, the'frame of the rotary dumper is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 at 20 and is supported in the usual manner on rollers 2! engaging tracks 2Ia located at opposite ends of the dumper frame, see Figure 1;. 22 represents the cradle of the dumper which is provided with rails 23 on which a loaded car 24 is adapted to run. Thecradle and clamps are, as usual, arranged so as to accommodate cars of different heights, as, for example, cars ranging from a minimum height of 7 feet to a maximum height of 12 feet 3 inches. The rails 23 are mounted on a laterally movable platen 25 .whichduring the dumping operation moves toward the dumping side of the cradle until the car engages the blocking on the spill apron on that side. Themeans for rotating the dumper and for controlling the movementof the platen are not shown as devices for accomplishing these purposes are well known in the art and any suitable means may be em The present invention relates particularly to the car clamps and to the means for lowering and elevating them. It is an important feature of the present, invention that the clamps ar wholly independently cntrolledi or ope tat t making it possible to provide a greater number of clamps on the dumping side than on the rear side. In this instance I employ six clamps, four. located on the dumping side and two on the rear side where the load on the clamps is;v a: great deal less than on the dumping side. However; differ ent numbers of clamps may be used, as, for example, six on the dumping sid andthree. on the rear side, but they need not of necessity be-of such numbers that those on the dumpingside aremultiples of those on the rear side The clamps on the rear side of the dumper are designated I and those on the dumpingside, are designated I6. These clamps slide in vertical guides 29 of the cradle (see Fig. 6). The clamps are lowered onto the topof 'the car If by gravity assisted by counterwights- 96 which are arranged on the top rear sid'e of: the-cradle.

Considering next the mechanism by which the clamps are controlledjin the form of the inventionillu'strated; l3 have-provided rack teeth on the: rear sides of the shanks of theclamps'which teethare engagedby-pawls: Appropriate mechanism, hereinafter described, is provided for causing the engagement and 'disengagement of the pawlfrom the": rack,'i-tbeing one" of the important features ofthe present' invention that there is provided a positive releasing arrangement for the pawls from the rack teethto prevent breakage of the clamp-lifting ropes.

As shown in the drawings, the rear sides of the shanks of the clamps I5 and I6 have pawl racks 'FI attached thereto, these racks extending from the upper ends of the clamps downwardly for a suitable distance along the shanks, the pawl mechanisms for the clamps on the rear and dumpingsides of the cradle, although composed of similar parts, are somewhat differently arrangeda I will first describe the pawl mechanism for the clamps on therear side of the cradle, reference being had to Figs. 4, 5: and 6. The racks 1-1 are adapted to be engaged bypawls- 1-8 which are pinnedto pawl supports I9 which in turn are pinned to the inner end of an arm 89'. Arm 80 is pinned at its outer end to a pair of brackets 9i which are secured to the side of the cradle frame. The arm 89 is permitted a slight movement between a bottom stop 92 and a top stop 83 which are also secured to the cradle frame in order to provide what may be termed backlash to compensate for the deflection of the car springs when the material is dumped from the car. This feature-is; provided for thereason thatwhen a loaded car enters the cradle the springs of the car trucks are compressed possibly as much as or 1", and it is; obvious that, if the hooks or clamps have made snug engagement with the car top, when theempty car is returned to upright position the car truck springs would exert a pressure on the clamps, which pressure would in turn create a pressure, of thepawls on the rack teeth to hinder their release; It is almost certain that this pawl pressure would be overcome by the knuckling action ofthe pendulum counterweights as hereinafter described, but this movement of the arm is provided as an additional feature of safety.

The pawl support I9 is connected by means of a link 84 to a crank'BB- which is keyed to a pin 86 which in turn is supported by the brackets 8| .4 previously referred to. Also keyed to the pin 86 is a pendulum counterweight 81. Just below the mechanism for locking the pawl to the rack there ismounted; ona, pin 88 a differential drum secured inbrackets; 89 in turn secured to the cradle frame. This difierential drum, which is scored for receiving ropes, is composed of a larger section 90 and a smaller section 9l. The larger section 99 of the differential drum has secured to it a clamp, lifting rope 92 to be referred to presently. To the smaller section 9i of the drum and to the opposite side thereof a clamp lifting rope 93 is attached which rope leads over suitable deflecting sheaves to a clamp lifting arm hereinafter. described. The differential drum is used to i provide for considerable travel of the clamps designed for use with cars varying only slightly in height, the differential drum can be replaced by asinglescored drum or sheave and: the clamp lifting ropes can then be made in a single piece. It will be understood: that the ropes 92 and 93 pass a suitable distance around the drum sections 99 and 9| before being secured thereto.

The construction of the pawl mechanism for the clamps It on the dumping side of the dumper is shown in Fig. By referring to this figure, it will be noted that the pawl I8 is pinned, as in the mechanismdescribed in connection with clamp '15, to a pawl support I9 which in turn is pinned to the inner end of an arm 80. The pawl support i9 is connected by a link 34, correspond! ing to the link 84 of the construction described 'at IOI.

in connection with clamp T5, to a crank a which'extends upwardly instead of downwardly, this crank being keyed to a pin 86 similar to that first described; Alsokeyedto the end of pin 86 is a pendulum counterweight 81. Mounted as before in a pair of brackets 89 is a differential drum composed of two parts 99 and 9| on which are wound and secured two clamp lifting ropes 9'2 and 93.

The clamp lifting ropes 92 of the pawl controlling mechanism for the clamps on both the rear and dumping sides are attached at 94 to the lower ends of the car clamps. Each of the ropes 93 passes around the drum section of smaller diameter, then passes around suitable deflecting sheaves and is attached to a clamp lifting arm 95, the function of which together with the reeving of the ropes being hereinafter described.

A separate counterweight 96 is connected to each of the car clamps I5 and I6 by individual ropes 91, the counterweights 96 for all the clamps being positioned adjacent the top of the rear side of the cradle. Thus, it will be noted that the rope 91* for each of the counterweights 96 passes around a sheave 98 arranged at the top of the cradle frame. The ropes 91 for two (or more) rear clamps of the'dumper extend downwardly and around a pair of sheaves 99 and H19 ('see Fig. 2) and lead upwardly and are attached to the lower ends of the shanks of the clamps I5 The ropes 91 for the clamps 16, after passing around sheaves 98, extend downwardly around sheaves I92 (see Fig. 2), then across the bottom of the dumper and around sheaves I03 (see Fig. 3) and then upwardly and are attached to the lower ends of the shanks of the car clamps I6 at I94.

At each end of the dumper is a clamp lifting arm 95, each arm being pivoted on a pin IID which is secured to a bracket III on the underside of the cradle frame; One of these arms is shown in Fig. 1, and it will be understood that upright position, engages ar oller H2 attached to the sill on the foundation of the dumper. As

shown in Figs. 8 and 9, each arm- 95 is formed b two spaced members 95a and 95b between the upper portions of which a pendulum counter weight H3 is pivotally mounted by a pin H 4. A plate H5 joins the lower portions of the two members 95a and 95b of each arm 95 so that the pendulum counterweight swings through the upper half and the arm.

The ropes 93 which pass around the smaller sections 9! of the drums for the-two clamps on the rear side of the dumper extend downwardly and around suitable deflecting sheaves andare then attached respectively to the upper'ends of the forward and rearclamp lifting arms 95. The ropes 93 which pass around the smaller sections 9! of the drums for the two rear clamps on the dumping side pass around sheaves I05 (see Fig. 3) and are then joinedtogether and to a rope ")6 which, after passing around upper sheaves I01 and lower sheaves I08, extends across the bottom of the dumper around a sheaveat the left-hand side (as viewed iniFig. 1) and then back to the upper ends of the rear clamp lifting arm 95. The'ropes 93 for the other two clamps on the dumping side are similarly connected to the forward clamp lifting arm 95 (see Fig. 1). With a loaded car in. upright position on the cradle and the clamps l5 and'lt elevated to clear the top of the car, rotation of the cradle is started in the dumping direction (clockwise as viewed in Fig; 1), and. the platen immediately moved to the dumping side of the cradle until the car engages the blocking on the spill apron on that side. At the same time the clamp lifting arms 95 begin rotation in a counterclockwise direcnot through the. lower half of tion, paying out the clamp lifting ropes 92 and 93. As the ropes 92 and 93 are paid out, the clamps Hi and i6 descend in their guides to the top of the car partly through gravity and partly through the constant pull of the counterweights 95 attached to the clamps. The descent of the clamps will be as fast as permitted by the paying out of the clamp lifting ropes 92 and 93 and will continue until the clamps engage the top of the car. When rotation has progressed about 75, the pendulum counterweights 8! have forced the pawls '58 into engagement with the pawl racks 11 on the shanks of the clamps, thus locking the clamps against the top of the car. Before this point is reached, the clamp liftingarms 95 have become disengaged from the rollers H2 which, as before stated areattached to the sill on the foundation of the dumper, but the pendulum counterweights H3 are positioned on the arms in such a way as to always tend to produce a clockwise rotation of the arms 95, thus providing sufficient tension in the clamp lifting ropes to prevent undue sagging and to keep the ropes on their sheaves.

With the car securely held in the cradle by the clamps which arelocked by the action of the pawls'lB on the pawl racks Tl, rotation is continued until the cradle has been rotated about 150 from its normal position, and when this point is reached all of the material of the car has been discharged therefrom.

Since the holding action of the clamps against locking action of the pawls 18 on the racks 11' rather than by direct pressure from the counterweights, no excess pressure can be applied to crush the top of the car. i

When the material has'been discharged from the car, the cradle is rotated in the opposite direction. When it is rotated past the point where the car is in horizontal position and further on to a point where it is inclined about 70 from the vertical, the pendulum counterweights 81 act to knuckle out or disengage the pawls 18 from the racks 11, leaving the clamps free to be lifted from the top of the car by the clamp lifting arms 95.

after the racks are freed and when the clamp lifting arms first engage the rollers H2 at,- tached to the sill. It continues until the cradle is in the upright position, when the clamps will be fully raised. The platen will by that time have moved sidewise to move the car out of contact with the spill apron and into alignment with the runoff tracks. 1,

It sometimes happens (with prior car clamps) when dumping carsthat a clamp will not descend entirely onto the car top but onto'a lump of ma-- terial lodged on the car top. While the'cradle revolves,' this lump may be crushed or may become dislodged, in which case, if rotation has failing to engage the car top for the reason above mentioned is the only car clamp freed when the lump is dislodged since all of the clamps act independently. If the clamps were arranged in pairs and each pair held against the car top by a common rope, as in the method employed heretofore, it is obvious that two clamps would be freed, one on each side of the car.

An important advantage of my improved car clamping arrangement lies in the fact that when -a pawl 18 is engaged with its rack 17;, the pin which pivots the pawl to the pawl support 79 is practically on a line passing from the center line of the pin, at the inner end of arm 80, to the center of the tooth of the pawl thereby providing a toggle-like'lock for the pawl and only a slight effort of the pendulum counterweight 81 will knuckle the pawl out of engagement with the rack and insure quick and easy release of the clamp preparatory to being raised by the clamp lifting arms.

"Additionally, it will be seen that the pendulum counterweights H3 connected to the clamp lifting arms 95 insure sufficient tension at all times in the clamp lifting ropes to prevent sag in the ropes and to keep the ropes on their sheaves,

Thus it will be seen that, with the construction shown and described, the various objects stated in the early part of the specification are very effectively attained. I do not desire to be" confined to the precise details shown but aim in my, claims to cover all modifications which do This clamp lifting operation beginssomewhat not involvea departure.- from thespirit and the scope'ofsth'ejinvention; v

Havingthus-described my; invention, what I claim is:

'1'. Inia'rotary carsdumper, a cradle adapted to receiveiaicar and havinga plurality of clamps engagea-ble: with: the; topv of: the car on both sides thereof to: hold: thecar on thecradle while the.

cam. is being dumped,v means forlocking each clamp: in car-holding position including a rack extending longitudinally" of; the clamp, a pawl adapted to engage said rack; a pendulum counterweight for controlling the movement of the pawl into and out of engagement with the rack, a drum. supported on. the frame of the cradle in association with each clamp, a rope connected to each clamp and extending about the associated drum; and clamp-lifting arms adapted to engage means at'the bottom of the dumper and also having ropes extending about the drums.

ZJIn a rotary car dumper, a cradle adapted to receive a car and having a plurality of clamps engageable with the top of the car on both sides thereof tohold thecaron the cradle while the car is'b'eing dumped; means for locking each clamp in car-holding position including a rack extending longitudinally of' the clamp, a pawl adapted to engagesaid rack, a pendulum counterweight for controlling themovementof the pawl into and out of engagement with the rack, a drum sup-- ported on the frame of'the cradle in association with each clamp, a rope connected to each clamp and extending in one direction about the associated drum and being attached thereto, and clamp-liftingarms adapted to engage means at thebottom of'the dumper and having ropes also extending about the drums in the opposite direction and attachedthereto.

3; In a rotary car dumper, a cradle adapted to receive a car and having a plurality of clamps engageable with the top of the car on both sides thereof to hold the car on the cradle while the car is being dumped, means for locking each clamp in car-holding position including a rack extending longitudinally of the clamp, a pawl adapted to engage said rack; a pendulum counterweight for controlling: the movement of the pawl intoand out of engagement with the rack, a drum supported on the frame of the cradle in association with eachclamp, a rope connected to each clamp and extending about the associated drum, and clamp-lifting arms adapted to engage means at the bottom of the dumper and having ropes also extending about the drums, the pendulumcounterweights which control the movement of the pawls into and out of engagement with the racks having a toggle or knuckling action in releasing the pawl from the racks.

4. In a rotary car dumper, a cradle adapted to receive a car and having a plurality of clamps engageable with the top of the car on both sides thereof to hold the car on the cradle while the car is being dumped, means for locking each clamp in car-holding position including a rack extending longitudinally of the clamp, a pawl adapted to engage said rack, a pendulum counterweight for V controlling the movement of the pawl into and out of engagement with the rack, a drum supported on the frame of the cradle in association with each clamp, a rope connected to each clamp and extending about the associated drum, and clamp-lifting arms adapted to engage means at the bottom of the dumper and having ropes also extending about the drums, there being provision for a slight movement of the clamps with the pawls engagedto provide a backlash-to compensate, for-the;- extensionyof they car-springs after the loadzhasbeenrdummd;

5. In a: rotary candumper a cradle adapted to receive. a. can and; having a-,p1urality' 0f clamps engageablefwithi the tonof; the car on both sides thereof: to holidithe car'on the; cradle while the car a is: being"? dumped; means; for locking each clamp in carehczlding: position including a rack extending longitudinally of the clamp, a p wl adapted to-engagesaid rack, a pendulum counterweightifor cont-rollingthe movement of the pawl into and: out of-engagementwith the rack; a drum supported; on thev frame of the; cradle in association with each clamp, a rope connected to each of said clamps, and: extending, about the associated: drum and; clamp-lifting arms adapted to engage means; at the bottom of the dumperand having ropes also extending, about the drums, the clam-pelifting arms having means serving to provide sufficient tension in the clamp-lifting ropes to: prevent undue sag and to keep: the ropes on their sheaves:

6. In a rotary: car dumper, a cradle adapted to receive a car and: havinga plurality of' clamps engageable-with the top of the caron both sides thereof to hold the car on the cradle while the car is being dumped; means for locking each clamp in car-holding position including a, rack extending longitudinally of the clamp, a pawl adapted to engagesaidrack, a pendulum counter- Weight'for controlling themovementof' the pawl into and out of engagementwith the rack, a drum supported on the frame of the cradle in association with each clamp; a rope connected to each clamp and extending about the associated drum, clamp-liftingarmsadapted to engage means at the bottom ofthe dumper and also having ropes extending about the drums, and counterweights connected to the clamps for holding the clamps in engagement with thet'op of the car.

'7'. In a rotary-car-dumper, a cradle adapted to receive a carand havinga plurality of clamps engageabl'ewith the top of the car on both sides thereof to hold the car on the cradle while the car is being dumped, means, for locking each clamp in car-holding position including a rack extending longitudinally of the clamp, a plurality of" pawls each adapted to engage one of said racks, pendulum counterweights for controllin the movement of the pawls into and out of engagement with the racks, mechanism comprising toggle linkages operatively connecting said pendulum counterweights and said pawls, said mechanism having a knuckling action in releasingthe pawls from the racks, and means for lifting said clamps when saidpawls are released;

8. In a rotary-car dumper; a cradle adapted to receive a car and havinga plurality of clamps engageable with the top of the car on both sides thereof to hold the car on the cradle while the car is being dumped, means for locking each clarnp in car-holding position includin a rack extendinglongitudinally of the clamp, a plurality of pawls each adapted to engage one of said racks, pendulum counterweights for controlling the movement of the, pawls into and out of engagement with the racks, mechanism comprising toggle linkages operatively connecting said pendulum counterweights and said pawls, said mechanism having a knuckling action in releasing the pawls from the racks, means providin for a slight movement of the clamps with the pawls engaged to provide a backlash to compensate for the extension of the car springs after the load has been dumped, and means for lifting said clamps when said pawls are released.

9. In a rotary car dumper, a cradle adapted to receive a car and having a plurality of clamps engageable with the top of the car on both sides thereof to hold the car on the cradle while the car is being dumped, means for locking each clamp in car-holding position including a rack extending longitudinally of the clamp, a plurality of pawls 63.1011 adapted to engage one of said racks, pendulum counterweights for controlling the movement of the pawls into and out of engagement with the racks, mechanism for operatively connecting said pendulum counterweights and said pawls, said mechanism having a toggle or knuckling action in releasing the pawls from the racks and clamp lifting means comprising a pivoted lever carried by the cradle and engageable with stationary means at the bottom of the dumper.

10. In a rotary car dumper, a cradle adapted to receive a car and having a plurality of clamps engageable with the top or the car on both sides thereof to hold the car on the cradle while the car is being dumped, means for locking each clamp in car-holding position including a rack extendin longitudinally of the clamp, a pawl adapted to engage said rack, a pendulum counterweight for controlling the movement of the pawl into and out of engagement with the rack, a drumsupported on the frame of the cradle in association with each clamp, a rope connected to each clamp and extending about the associated drum, a clamp lifting lever pivotally connected to said cradle and adapted to engage means at the hot- 10 tom of the dumper, a second drum supported on the frame of the cradle and operatively connected to the first-mentioned drum, and a rope or cable connected to said pivoted lever and extending about said second drum.

11. In a rotary car dumper, a cradle adapted to receive a car and having a plurality of clamps engageable with the top of the car on both sides thereof to hold the car on the cradle While the car is being dumped, means for locking each clamp in car-holding position including a rack extendin longitudinally of the clamp, a pawl adapted to engage said rack, a pendulum counter-Weight for controlling the movement of the pawl into and out of engagement with the rack, a drum supported on the frame of the cradle in association with each clamp, a rope connected to each clamp and extending about the associated drum, a clamp-lifting lever pivotally connected to said cradle and adapted to engage means at the bottom of the dumper, a second drum of smaller diameter than the first drum, and a rope or cable connected to said pivoted lever and extending about said second drum.

ROBERT W. CRIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,570,943 Case Jan. 26, 1926 1,768,825 Caldwell July 1, 1930 1,787,812 Brown Jan. 6, 1931 1,821,217 Heaton et a1. Sept. 1, 1931 

